The Mystery in the Mud: A Bones Fanfiction
by alexiscook02
Summary: When a body comes to the lab that has the same characteristics as Booth's pregnant lover, could the victim be the missing Dr. Brennan? Or someone else... {Takes place inbetween seasons 6 & 7, BxB, Hodgela}
1. Chapter 1

It was a typical Tuesday morning, but for Booth, it was more stressful than ever. Bones was two months pregnant, and he could feel himself growing more and more over protective. She was away in West Virginia at one of her book conferences, and while Booth had pleaded that she didn't go alone, she insisted that the team needed him back in D.C. He rolled out of bed and picked up his cell phone to call her, but once again it went straight to voicemail.

"Damnit Bones," he muttered under his breath.

Before he could set the phone back onto the nightstand, he got a text message from the Jeffersonian.

"Well Bones, we got a body," he said to himself as he fastened his signature "Cocky" belt through his pants and got ready for the day.

-00000-

"Female," Cam confirmed at the scene, a swampy area by the river. "Aged mid thirties. I'd say she died three to five days ago."

She turned the body so that it was fully facing upward, and her face turned solemn when she picked up a portion of the stomach. She sighed and glanced at Dr. Edison, who was filling in for Dr. Brennan.

"I hate these cases," she muttered as Dr. Edison looked knowingly across at the other squinterns who had made it to the scene. Booth was confused.

"Hey guys, c'mon I don't know all this squinty stuff, what does it mean?" he asked.

"She was pregnant. Not very far along either," Cam said grimly, looking up at Booth.

She knew that it would upset Booth, and it did. After all, his partner was 200 miles away carrying their child. But, despite the sentimentality of it all, Booth lifted his head up and yelled,

"Alright people, let's get her back to the Jeffersonian."

-00000-

Back at the lab, they had the bones cleaned in no time. Nothing special about this case, just a gunshot wound to the chest, which was confirmed as cause of death. No personal items either, she was just stripped naked and tossed down the river, which sped up decomp, according to Hodgins, but they were still waiting for test results.

Booth was starting to get anxious. What if this was Bones? She hadn't picked up her phone since she'd left. The victim's description matched perfectly, she was pregnant, and she was found off of the banks of a river that ran near the city she was in. Angela, she's going to do the I.D, and that would make everything clear, he thought. As Booth was in Limbo reassuring himself, Angela prepared to identify the strangely familiar skull that sat before her being scanned by the Angelatron.

She had the same suspicions as Booth. Everyone had. He had confronted her as they were leaving the crime scene, but she had assured him that it wasn't Brennan. And now she stood with Cam and Daisy in her office awaiting the scan to be complete. After waiting what felt like a century, the scanning stopped and a face appeared onto the screen. A very familiar face. Everything turned slow motion as Angela dropped the tablet in horror.

-00000-

It was Brennan. The victim. The dead victim. The three stood in shock for a moment until Daisy and Angela started shrieking and bawling. Cam snapped out of it. She ran out of the room shouting, "Booth! BOOTH!"

To Be Continued

-00000-


	2. Chapter 2

-00000-

"Booth! BOOTH!"

Cam Saroyan didn't need to call him more than that. He dropped his cup of coffee and sprinted down the stairs onto the main floor. He looked at her for an explanation, but she simply stared at him with tears forming in her eyes because she couldn't say anything. She didn't need to say anything. Nobody did. Booth ran past her and into Angela's office. He pushed past the wailing Daisy and Angela to get a look at the screen. When he saw his lover's face staring back at him, he was still, for just a moment, before he broke down onto the couch and sobbed.

Nobody had seen Booth cry before. His breaths were fast and short. His heart was pulsing and his pulse was racing. His face was red and hot, and a thousand thoughts raced through his brain.

Why? Why now? Why would God take her from me? I finally got her, God! She was mine now! We were gonna be a family! Everything was finally going to work out! I finally got her, God! I finally got her!

Booth raised his head from his hands. Angela and Daisy had stopped wailing and were wiping their faces with tissues. Cam's face was buried in her hands. Hodgins stood in the doorway, forlorn, staring at the screen, before he walked over to Angela to pull her into a tight embrace. Cam finally looked up and wiped away her tears.

"Alright, it's almost five anyways, so I want all of you to go home," Cam said.

The squinterns that had gathered around the doorway silently dispersed to collect their things. Everyone slowly left the room. Booth remained silent on the couch, staring at the screen with Bones's voice ringing through his head. Angela walked over to him and put her hand on his shoulder.

"Booth. Go home. Take it easy, okay?"

She shut off the lightswitch and left. After a while to gather his thoughts, Booth blinked and stood up. He left the Jeffersonian, drove back to his apartment, and just laid down on his bed staring at the ceiling.

-00000-

That night after Booth finally fell asleep, he dreamed of Bones. He dreamed of the night that she had come home with him, after Vincent Nigel-Murray had died, that faithful night that their baby was conceived. She was upset about his last words, 'Don't make me leave!' Booth knew that it was God. But Bones was an atheist, and he couldn't tell her that.

She started sobbing, her beautiful eyes crinkling and her smooth face wet with tears. She didn't even need to say anything, she just looked at him with those beautiful blue eyes and he was there to comfort her. He was there. They fell back together onto the bed, Bones's beautiful genius head resting on his chest while she cried. After she ran out of tears she had tilted her face upward, and they just stared at each other for a while, not in an awkward way, but a soothing, comfortable way. It was Booth that kissed her, and this time she didn't pull away. It was a soft, slow kiss that lasted forever. One thing led to another, and they made love, right there on the edge of Booth's bed. It wasn't rough, like most sex is, but it was slow and passionate. They didn't even take off their clothes.

They fell asleep together and awoke in the morning. That day they didn't even talk about it. They were simply nicer to each other, and shared knowing smiles that nobody understood. Later, after visiting Angela in the hospital, she told him that she was pregnant. At first, Booth didn't know what to think. After what they had shared, she was pregnant with someone else? Bones sensed that, like the genius she was, and confirmed that he was the father. Suddenly, everything was right in the world to Booth. He was ecstatic, and so was she. Everything was perfect.

And now she was dead. Dead with their unborn baby that would never see the light of day. Booth groggily rolled out of bed the next day. Time to catch the bastard that killed his family.

-00000-

Everyone was busy at the lab that day. They worked the hardest they ever had on a case. They confirmed that the cause of death was a gunshot wound that punctured the heart. Everything else was fine, which was strange for a regular case. The only wounds were the gunshot, and a reconstructed ulna, from a premature breakage. All they needed to do was catch Brennan's killer.

"Booth, I hate to ask you this, but did Dr. Brennan have any enemies?"

Booth was in the interrogation room, but this time he was the one being interrogated. Due to conflict of interest, he had been pulled from the case.

"No, not that I know of. Bones never really talked about people that she didn't like."

The other agent gathered his papers and told him that that concluded the questions. On his way out, he looked at Booth, who was obviously in agony, and his stony expression softened.

"Hey Booth, I'm really sorry about Temperance. If you need anything, just give me a call."

Booth nodded and grabbed his keys. Solemnly, he left for the Jeffersonian.

-00000-

"I just don't know what to do. I'm under enough stress already, and now they won't let me work on the case!"

Booth took a long swig of his water.

"The least they could do is let me catch the bastard that killed my family!"

He was in Angela's office with the team as they were waiting test results from a river sample. Angela glanced at him sorrowfully and nodded.

"Sweetie, you've said that four times already, but, yeah, I know what you mean."

Since Brennan's death, everyone was down in the dumps. The team stood there for a moment staring at the floor and holding back tears. As the boss, Cam felt it that it was her duty to cheer everyone up, and she broke the silence.

"Guys come on, we'll find out who did this to Dr. Brennan," she nodded, "We always do."

"Who did what to me?"

To be continued...

-00000-


	3. Chapter 3

-00000-

"Who did what to me?" said Dr. Brennan, who was standing in the doorway of Angela's office, confused why everyone seemed so sad.

Everyone was shocked and the small room was filled with gasps and 'Oh my God!'s. Booth's jaw dropped and his eyes looked full of helplessness.

"Bones!" he yelped, running to her and pulling her into a tight embrace. "Oh my God! Bones!" he managed, stroking the back of her head.

Angela stood with her mouth gaping open and her eyes wide. She was incapable of saying anything. After a moment she and the rest of the team went to Dr. Brennan's side and another series of 'Oh my God!'s began. Now Brennan was very confused.

"Why," she started, "Is everyone so emotional to see me?"

Angela stared at her, with a confused and exhausted look on her face.

"Bren, you were dead! Or atleast that's what you made everyone think!"

Now she was even more confused.

"Dead?" she sputtered. "That is impossible, I am standing right here!"

Booth looked at her with hurt in his eyes. At first he didn't know what to say.

"Bones," he started slowly, "A body was found yesterday morning. A woman in her mid thirties, a perfect description of you. Angela even identified her. Your face came from the skull." He paused. "Everyone thought you were dead."

Now Brennan was so confused that her head started to hurt and she began to get dizzy. She put a hand on her head and sat down on the couch.

"That's...that's preposterous, Booth, it couldn't be me, Angela must've made a mistake!"

Angela chimed in.

"Sweetie, trust me, I re-did the reconstruction atleast five times."

Brennan shook her head. She didn't know what to think. Booth sat beside her. He didn't know what to think either.

"Bones," he said softly, "Why weren't you back yesterday, why didn't you pick up your phone?"

Brennan, still confused, started to stammer.

"My flight kept being delayed due to severe thunderstorms, and that's why there wasn't any cell service, and I tried to call you, I really did, and..." Brennan shook her head slowly and rubbed her forehead. "You really did think I was dead, didn't you."

Everyone was silent. Brennan held back tears and hugged Booth tightly.

"I'm so sorry, Booth, I can only imagine what I put you through."

Booth only held her tighter. He felt like his heart had been ripped to shreds.

"Hey, Bones, it's okay, I'm just glad that you're here." He pulled away and stroked her hand.

"Uh, guys? Sorry to ruin the moment, but if that's not Dr. Brennan, who is it?" said Hodgins.

No one could answer that. Cam paused a second before saying,

"Hey, do you guys remember that case we had a couple years ago, where a woman hired a hitman for her husband, but the hitman accidentally got his identical twin that he never knew about?"

Her mouth gaped open as she said this, and the whole team stared at Dr. Brennan.

"Dr. Brennan," Cam started, "Do you think it's rational to say that you might have an identical twin you never knew about?"

Brennan was in shock. She sputtered with protest.

"Absolutely not! How could I possibly have an identical twin, one that I don't even remember! Besides, even if I DID have one, my father would surely tell me!"

"You mean your father who abandoned you, and didn't tell you that Temperance Brennan wasn't your real name?" said Sweets in his annoying, shrinky, voice.

All Brennan could do was glare at him.

"Dr. Brennan," Cam started, "If this is your identical twin, it would clear up a lot of things."

"Yeah, like why the corpse has the SAME FACE AS YOU DO!" Hodgins exclaimed.

Angela smacked him on the arm.

"Bren, you should talk to your dad. If this really is your identical twin, he would probably want to know why his other daughter was murdered." she assured.

"Fine." Brennan said hotly as she grabbed for her keys.

"Woah, Bones, c'mon wait for me!" said Booth following her out of the room.

Sweets stopped him.

"Agent Booth, I think that this is something that Dr. Brennan needs to do on her own."

Booth understood, but his face fell as she left the Jeffersonian, because it hadn't been five minutes until he left his lover for the second time.

-00000-

"Well Tempe, I'm just glad you're not dead," said Max after his daughter had explained what just went on that morning. "but they didn't even call me about it yet!

They were eating lunch together at the Royal Diner in downtown D.C. Though it was Brennan's favorite restaurant, she felt uncomfortable about confronting her dad.

"Dad," she said, "there's still one thing. The corpse looked exactly like me. Same height, weight, features... and face. They think that I must have an identical twin, but I told them that it was preposterous and irrational and... Dad?"

Max had dropped his fork and he was rubbing his temples.

"Oh my God..." he muttered.

To be continued...

-00000-


	4. Chapter 4

-00000-

"Oh my god..." he muttered

Brennan was alarmed.

"Dad, oh my god, as in they're being absurd, or oh my god, as in this is quite alarming," she demanded.

They stood in silence for a moment as Max carefully decided what to say.

"Dad, did I, or did I not, have a sister!" said Brennan as she slammed her palms on the table. Max took a deep breath.

"Yes Tempe, you had a twin sister." he said.

Brennan was flabbergasted. It did not make any sense. Max sat there in guilt.

"I should've told you earlier, but I didn't want to worry you because I never thought it relevant to bring up," he said staring down at his palms.

"Dad!" said Brennan, "You thought it wasn't relevant to tell me that I have an identical twin! Or had." She looked at him with a fiery glower.

Max took another deep breath.

"Tempe," he sighed, "When...when your mother first found out she was pregnant with you, she wanted a natural birth, because of our circumstances, she didn't trust, ah..."

"People who keep records of people?" she answered.

"Yeah, yeah, um..." he rubbed the the back of his head. "Well, turns out, it's twins, your mother's health ain't that great, and she has to do the hospital. Well, you and your sister are born, early, like most twins, so the nurse had to take you both out of the room, for health reasons." Max sighed. "Never saw your sister again. Nurse said she left the room for just a second, just a second, and when she came back the door was wide open and a baby was gone." He wiped his eyes. "Felt sorry for that nurse. Young thing. Said she would hate herself for the rest of her life."

Brennan was in tears.

"Your mother never, ever trusted a public place like that again," he finished.

"Dad, what..." she stammered, "What was her name?"

Max toyed with his fork.

"It... it was going to be Joy and Christine," he said, "Those were your mother's favorite names."

"That's the name that she took when you changed your identities," she observed.

"Yes."

"Dad," Brennan said, "Booth's gonna have to take you in for questioning."

He sighed.

"I'm aware."

-00000-

Brennan went back to the lab.

"Sweetie, hey," Angela said as she came into her office, "What's the matter?"

She had obviously had been crying, her face was red and her eyes were glittering and puffy.

Brennan wiped the her eyes with the back of her sleeve and shrugged her shoulders.

"Bren," Angela said softly, "Really? I'm so sorry."

"No Ange, I'm fine," she said, "Just elevated hormones due to my gestat-"

"Bren. No. It's called being human. If I had a sister I never knew, I'd be a wreck," Angela said.

There was a long silence.

"Christine. Her name was Christine, and when we were born she was kidnapped from the hospital and my parents never saw her again."

Angela looked mortified.

"Oh my god, sweetie! Bren, go home. Go get Booth, and take the rest of the day off, I'll go tell Cam, and she'll understand, and-"

"Ange, I told you I'm fine!"

Angela gazed sorrowfully, almost pitifully at her best friend.

"I know you, and you are not fine."

-00000-

30 minutes later, Brennan was in the car driving back to her apartment with Booth. After she had told him what happened, she was strangely quiet for the remainder of the car ride.

"Bones, I know you're upset. C'mon, just tell me what's on your mind, you can tell me anything."

For some reason this struck a chord in Brennan, and instead of sorrow, she started to feel anger.

"Fine!" she said, throwing her hands up. "You want to know what I feel? I feel like I missed out on having a sister. That asshole took my twin because they WANTED to, and just because they WANTED to, they took away a part of me that I could've had, Booth!"

She was crying now.

"If you have a twin, that is an experience that you NEVER get with anyone else, and they stole it from me! They took away what would've been a HUGE part of my life! And I can never change that!" Brennan sobbed. "I can never change that!"

Booth pulled into the parking lot of her apartment building. He got out of the drivers seat and walked over to the passengers side. He opened the door, helped Brennan out, and held her as she sobbed, just like that fateful night two months ago.

"Bones, it's all gonna be fine, I promise you. We will catch whoever did this to her, and I will make them sorry."

Brennan nuzzled into his embrace.

"Booth," she said, "If we have a girl I want to name her Christine. First, because of my mother, that I knew, and lost, and second for my sister that I never knew, and lost, because if there is anything that I am sure of, it's that I will never lose that Christine."

To be continued...

-00000-


End file.
